yep, i finally did it

so i actually signed up and went to one of those STS things. Dreamweaver 1. Boring.

I felt like i could've taught the class better than the dudes that did. i should've taken DW2, but oh well. this one was open and fit in my schedule. it did confirm my abilities to use Dreamweaver, which is pretty cool.

the best part about it was there were 4 other people from the class there. haha, i guess I'm not the only one who waits till the last minute. :-)

For todays reading notes, i want to expand on the whole top-down vs bottom-up part of emergence.

For me, I truly think that we live in a time when there is only top-down emergence. By this i mean that everyone everywhere is constantly being supervised by someone somewhere who holds a place of authority. They give us the rules, we follow the rules, and everything moves on from there. People and communities expand under rules and regulations enforced by people higher in the hierarchy than they are. Don't get me wrong, in this age, this top-down way of going about things works just fine. things get done efficiently, and i think people are used to doing it this way.

I Get a little confused with how bottom-up communities emerge. Especially when discussing the human population. i understand that ants can do it, and so can slime molds. but really, in a human population, it hard to come up with an example. the best one i could come up with is a student run organization, like the a cappella group im in. we dont have a designated faculty supervisor...we are just run internally. but even then, we appoint people to take over business managing, music directing, and handling of the money. In a way, these select people act as the supervising source, telling us when to sing, what we need to do, and when we need to do it. i mean they arent exactly at the level where anything they say goes, but it seems like a bottom-up wanting to turn into a top-down just because its what we are used to.

I dont know. im still a little confused. oh well.

you can do it!

Last week, we finished watching the movie Lost in Translation in class. There are some things that struck me in a way that i wanted to talk about them in my blog.

1. The lack of speaking in the movie was at times awkward, but all in all very interesting. I think that even when things were said, much of the time there was no understanding. Example: when bill murray was doing the photo shoots, people were talking with him and telling him what to do, but he didn't understand it. i know, he was being talked at in a language that he didn't know, but i think it just emphasizes the theme that many things that are said are not understood. Also, much of the dialogue that goes on between him and his wife is empty dialogue where both of them don't really understand the other.

2. i thought that the movie was a perfect example of how a non-place can turn into a place. for both of the main characters, they really did not want to be at the hotel in the beginning. however after meeting each other, they were almost torn apart at the end. they created memories at the hotel and made friends with each other.

3. The ending kinda sucked. i really don't like endings that don't really conclude the film. this on was above and beyond as the audience doesn't know what is said to charlotte and they don't know what will happen when they both get back to the United States.

Overall, i thought the movie was good. i would watch it again.

ps. just a thought on Emergence, the book we are currently reading: it is hard to identify with the concepts of the community acting together and not having a set leader because much of our culture and world is based on hierarchies and people in leadership positions overlooking people "below" them. but, the book is interesting.

A glimpse of hope?...

i really like that we are watching a movie in class. i had never seen Lost in Translation before, and i must say i really like it so far. we are a little bit further that half way through the movie, and it has grabbed my attention the entire time. its funny and awkward at the same time which makes for and interesting mix of feelings.

This movie can be looked at in the context of non-place and network theory. The two main characters are kinda stuck in the hotel, not knowing what to do, and just waiting around. The woman waits for her husband and searches for things to do. The man does what he's told and goes where people tell him to go. He hardly thinks for himself and waits around for the next gig he has to do. This waiting and searching and nothing pertains to non-place and Auge. In a sense, the two main characters are distanced from a goal of connecting with their spouses and being home.

When the two of them meet in the hotel, they start to form a relationship. As they make connections with each other, they slowly help themselves out and become not so miserable in the non-place. with this connection, they are saving themselves from nothingness and emptiness.

I am interested to see how the movie progresses and ultimately ends. so far i like it, so i hope i doesn't disappoint in the end.

Get me outta this non-place!!!!

As i reluctantly begin school again after a wonderfully glorious spring break, I am reminded of what i left behind for a week: endless hours of school/studying, work, and responsibilities. Like a slap in the face, i find myself in the middle of the 11 week of class, up to my eyeballs with things to do. My professors so nicely decided to give me two quizzes and two exams this week. hurray!! i don't mean to bitch and moan for the entire post; things like this happen, and you just have to go with the flow. what i am getting at is that i am supposed to go to a "non-place" and observe what takes place. given my busy schedule, i have decided to use a non-place experience from a resort at where i recently stayed. it goes something like this:

I rode the elevator many times at the resort. one particular time stands out to me. I stayed on the 15th floor of the resort and was using the elevator to go down to the lobby. when i got in, all of the buttons from 10 down had been pushed. i thought to myself, what an inconvenience, but i was in no hurry so i decided to ride it out. when the elevator stopped on the 12th floor, it picked up 10 more people on their way down. i didn't say anything to them about the buttons, but they all saw them and still decided to stay on. when the elevator stopped at each floor, there was silence for the 15 seconds the door opened and closed. everyone looked to the front on the car, no one looked at each other, and no one really moved. it was really awkward as the elevator stopped again and again and we had to wait in silence, shoulder to shoulder with someone you don't know. still nothing was said to ease the awkwardness of the situation. no one even cared to make a joke about the situation. everyone was just on their way, wanting to make the trip go as quickly as possible.

now that i think of it, there was a girl who whispered to her mom something that no one else could hear. it was as if the rest of the people on the elevator should not hear the little piece of information because it was so private. it made it distance everyone on the elevator even more.

whoa.

today's open post is going to be somewhat short.

i cannot wait for spring break. I am going to myrtle beach with 3 of my friends and staying at some resort. it is sure to please.

I got accepted to study abroad this summer in Guanajuato, Mexico. This is also amazing!!! i have traveled to Spain before and stayed with a family, and that was by far one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I am so happy i get to go to Mexico and live with a family and take classes and speak Spanish 24/7.

Today at work (i work as an information guide at the red gym), the main red-head lady from CSI came in with her husband and son to take a tour of the campus. so awesome. everyone in the service area was so excited. even thought i didn't get to talk with her, it was amazing that she was even at UW-Madison touring the campus. it just goes to show that celebrities are real people too. :-)

have a fantastic spring break everyone!!

Half Man, Half Machine...AAAHHH!!

CYBORG?!?

The word cyborg has somewhat of a negative connotation. At first, when i think of a "cyborg" I think of someone who is half man, half computer, and usually this person is someone who wants to take over the world.

But when you think about what the word cyborg means, the negative connotation becomes somewhat unnecessary. In reading "Natural-born Cyborgs" by Andy Clark, i found that the term cyborg can be attributed to someone who is connected to the network of Internet, computers, and various resources. Clark mentions that the loss of his laptop was like brain damage (pg. 4). A previous post of mine also outlines the intense need for connections through technology and computers. Clark also discusses how the world is now smarter and people are now smarter than they have ever been due to computers and technological connections (pg. 5).

In class, some people were arguing that this intense need for technology is bad. It shows us that we can't function without technologies and computers. However, i definitely disagree. I think that one who uses technology and computers fully are utilizing their resources to the fullest and in turn are more in tune to the world around them.

I do also think that this relationship between human and technology is very complex and somewhat ill-understood. There is so much interaction between biological, cultural, and technological that the line that divides good interaction from bad interaction is very fine. I still feel, though, that without the interaction with technology and the network, our world would not be as advanced as it is.

cyborg –noun
a person whose physiological functioning is aided by or dependent upon a mechanical or electronic device.

cyborg - noun
everyone.

Do what you want to do, go where you want to go.

The internet is a hub of connections, connections galore. But are we really interacting with the people who we think we are interacting with? Could someone possibly be someone who they just aren’t? or could someone be portraying a side of themself that is not who they are if you would have interacted with them face to face?

In Turkle’s “Identity Crisis” in Life on the Screen, Turkle talks about this: the internet being a “…chance for all of us who aren’t actors to play [with] masks. And think about the masks we wear everyday” (256).

People are able to show what they want and keep hidden what they want. And they can do this to an even greater degree that in everyday life because they are protected by the screen. “…it is a world where anything goes that can be negotiated…” (257). The internet is a place where people can explore their self and negotiate, on one level or another, who they are with themselves and other people.

Turkle also talks about how people explore different “parts” of themselves or their personalities. She says “…different parts of the self are not full personalities. They are split-off, disconnected fragments” (261). In this sense, people’s personalities on the internet are like a sampling of who they truly are. A sampling of self occurs as people explore their various ways of being and acting.

One last thing that I found in Turkle’s piece and that I really liked: she says “Different people make the computer their own in their own ways” (267). This sentence really stood out to me. It is so true that you can be whoever you want, act like you want, and pursue whatever you want on the internet. You make it your own as you explore what your limits are and what the limits of your interaction with the network is.

That's the cool thing to do?!

In talking about the "Keep Austin Weird" campaign in class, I understand the impact of the "fundamental laws governing the spread of fads, ideas, and epidemics..."(Barbasi 126) that Barbasi discusses in the course reader:

The innovators (someone or a group of people who are willing to take risks) spread the idea to hubs (a person or people with many social networks) and the idea reaches its threshold and explodes in popularity.

Given this, I wanted to explore the possibilities of what kinds of things could fall into this pattern of cool. Is it just ideas, epidemics, or fads? can it be activities or people?

I went home this weekend and, not looking for ideas that i could put in reading notes, was pleasantly surprised at the material i got from attending the musical at my high school. Now, high school is a battleground in regards to cool. People are brutal in high school when it comes to being cool. So i thought if there is any example i could use, it would be theater in high school.

When i was in high school, i was very involved in theater. when i was a freshman, the theater click was pretty small, and many of the people in the productions would not really socialize with other people outside of the theater click. Many people thought that theater was lame, boring, and something only weird outsiders did. However, a group of friends and I (who had already established many social networks through school, sports, and extracurriculars) decided to try out for the musical second semester of my freshman year. At first, people said, "You're in the musical?!" they would be surprised and come to see it because one of their friends was in it. As my four years went on, more and more people knew who would be in the musical and more and more people came to see the musicals. My senior year, the freshman class who decided to do theater was HUGE. They had a lot of talent, and they had a lot of friends. Many people, who didn't have preconceived notions about theater, came to see the shows, and some even tried out on a whim. As i went back to see the show (Little Shop of Horrors) on Saturday, i was surprised at the people in the crowd and the people in the musical. There were football players, the 'popular' people, and even families that you wouldn't expect there. What was even more shocking was that there were football players and skater kids in the cast and pit! holy cow!

so i guess what i'm getting at is that my group of friends and i were the innovators of Thomas More High School Theater. We also were the preliminary hubs, using our social networks to spread the word about shows and auditions. The freshman class (who are now juniors) were another hub who brought theater involvement to its threshold, and now the theater department is doing pretty well.

I was talking to the director, who was also the director when i was there, and she said they had an overwhelming amount of people audition this year. So it just goes to show that even activities which were once thought of as something the 'cool' people would never do can now be thought of as the thing that cool people are doing.

Red Gym Folk. Damn They're Cool!

Today at work, I watched the people who came into the Red Gym for one reason or another. I found a couple trends among the people I saw:

1. iPods were a staple for all people.
2. The majority of people wore dark jeans.
3. People who came in big groups all had scarves on. Weird, I know.
4. People who exerted quite a bit of confidence were all wearing brown dress shoes.

So, clearly pretty much everyone had an iPod. I think this cool accessory has already hit its threshold, and everyone has caught on and bought one/uses one. I remember when I first got my iPod, I had no clue what it was. I got it from my parents, which is even weirder because my parents were in a way the innovators. They purchased one for me before they were this huge deal. I think I was a freshman in high school. I used it quite a bit and all of a sudden saw a boom of people using them. Maybe I was the hub?!?!?! That would be pretty cool. Anyway, at some point they hit the threshold, and people started using them ALL THE TIME! Now my dad has a iPod…I think that’s the weirdest (haha). He is definitely the straggler in this coolness.

The dark jeans thing is hard to make any sense of. I mean, I have a pair of light jeans, two medium colored jeans, and one pair of dark jeans. Maybe it was just a coincidence that people were wearing them on the same day. However, this could be because dark jeans are the cool jeans. I am not sure, and I don’t think I can discuss how a shade of jeans would hit a hub and cross a threshold…I think jeans are jeans. But maybe that’s just me.

It seems that people who travel in packs like to wear scarves. This might correlate to scarves being popular items fro cool people. If I were a coolhunter, I would notice this and take advantage of it. Maybe advertising scarves that match shirts or something…then people would wear them more. I don’t know. I don’t wear a scarf. I think that possibly the people wearing the scarves are innovators and that soon, since the people wearing them are pretty popular, scarf wearage with hit its threshold and everyone will wear them.

Confidence, I feel, tells a lot about a person. I think that cool people might have more confidence than uncool people. Brown shoes aren’t worn by everyone, so I think maybe they have just hit the hub and the cool, confident people will allow the fashion of the brown shoe to explode after it hits the threshold.

I did see a lot of northface jackets, ugg boots, stretch pants, and huge sunglasses. But this is a fad of coasties. Nothing else. It is definitely not cool because most people would not walk out of their dwelling-places in those clothes.

That is all.

A Web of Destruction?

This past week, the discussions in class was more on the relationship between grid writing and cool writing. However we also read selections from Duncan Watts’ Six Degrees. I want to touch on both of these topics in this week’s reading notes.

In class on Tuesday, we discussed in depth how things can be grid-like and network-like. In particular, we talked about how the university employs a grid-like pattern AND a network-like layout. In the oldest parts of the university, it is not like a grid due to the “emergence” theme of that part of the university. As time went on, buildings like van hise and van vleck were built and they are more grid-like, even on the outside. And nowadays, the new dorms being built promote networks as the use the “cluster” format within.

On the subject of networks, I feel that a network can work in so many different ways. As mentioned before, emergence has a lot to do with networks as interactions with people lead to new relationships and new products. As we interrelate with people we are able to put new ideas together and produce new groups and possibly something that has never been produced before. I am constantly told by my father that I need to make connections and get my name out there. That goes along with the theme of networks: networking gets you opportunities that you wouldn’t have had if you didn’t go out there and get your name out there and network.

Continuing with the theme of networks but switching over to the reading, Watts discusses how networks greatly contribute to virus spread. On page 119 of our reader, Watts says, “”…why have we only recently started to experience [computer viruses] on a global scale?...The answer…is the internet” (Watts, 167). The internet provides us with such a HUGE network of connectivity where we can be connected to millions of people with one click. And with the growing network, virus spread is so much easier. Modern connections have allowed viruses to travel, and do so quickly to infinite places. It seems the only way to stop this amazing spread of viruses is to plainly cut ties within the network. Just as “removing dirty needles from the circulation eliminates one mechanism by which HIV can spread…” (Watts 181), cutting ties within a network will eliminate a pathway for viruses to conquer.

Finally, I want to say that people who make viruses for computers suck. What’s their deal? Do they really have nothing better to do?

I hope this works....

Today was a normal day. A full day of classes was followed by dinner and bio lab. My bio lab go out early, which has been happening more on a regular basis lately (which is also AMAZING). So I got out of lab at about 7:1opm. On my walk home, I ran into one of my good friends, Allie, whom i havent seen in quite some time. I asked her what she was up to and she replied, "I'm going to the Wind Ensemble Concert." To my surprise, the wind ensemble had a concert tonight, and I had been wanting to go to one. So when this happened, I had to join Allie to the concert. At the concert, they played about an hour and a half of music. My two favorite pieces were the Turrin Concerto for Trombone in One Movement (Mark Hetzler was the soloist and OUTSTANDING!!) and Blue Shades by Ticheli which has a kick ass clarinet solo in the middle that Katie Johnson rocked at! I wasnt really impressed with the songs until those two. I have played Blue Shades before, and it was performed wonderfully by the wind ensemble.

So anyway, after the concert two great things happened:

1. My friend from back home, who goes to Stevens Point for music performance and ed, was there and i got to see her and catch up.
2. i had an epiphany about my life.

Yes, an epiphany. I am going to double major in music and chemistry. DECIDED.

All throughout grade school and high school, I was extremely involved in music. I was a member of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra for 6 years, a member of the UWM wind ensemble for 2 years, and had the opportunity to study privately with many different people and play with the MSO. I play all the woodwind instruments: sax, clarinet, flute, oboe, and bassoon. I was really hard to give up music. I was planning on majoring in it until a last minute change-of-mind. I figured there is a lot of opportunities to be involved in music without majoring in it, and I had a lot of interest in the sciences.

But I see myself not being as involved in music as i once was. And i am going through withdrawal.

So i have decided to audition for the school of music next semester and stay an extra year to get a music major. It kinda sucks because im deciding to do this so late, but i figured i have to do what i love and theres no better time to do it. It's gunna be A LOT of work in the next couple months, but I think i can do it. And if i never try to get into the school of music, then i will never have the satisfaction of knowing i did everything i could to follow my passion.

so It's decided: a double major in chem and music. my life will be hell, but i figure, if im doing what i love (both science AND music) then i will be happy. it will just be a lot of work.

Fighting the hot and cold...

That's right folks, I'm sick and have been for the past week or so. on Tuesday, I did not attend classes and slept for about 5 extra hours. it was glorious. However, I am pretty behind in my classes due to being out of town as well from Thursday till today. Making up all the work is not going to be fun, but I am getting better, so I guess thats worth it! :-)

Not going to English 201 both days means i missed all of the discussion!! oh no!! This makes my reading notes pretty difficult to produce. I am going to do the best i can with what i have and take a little different approach to my reading notes this week. Here goes nothin'.

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Both of the readings from last Tuesday were from N. Katherine Hayles. They were on new media and writing with different media. On page 72 of our reader, Hayles says "...how literature is changing under the impact of information technologies." I feel that is why this English course that i am taking is even relevant. As new media and new ways of creating information create endless possibilities, they too create endless ways of sharing knowledge. Literature is also allowed to be reshaped with these possibilities, and the history of literature is also affected as documents from all times are transfered to digital technologies.

On page 73 od our reader, Hayles brings up the concept of the "textimage" which is words and images together. This allows people to think in terms of an image instead of just a word. It creates a fusion of senses with reading the word at the same time the image appears. But the possibilities are only started at image as so many words and literary texts can be linked to sounds, videos, etc.

One thing that confused me was on page 74 of our reader as Hayle refers to technology as a person, saying that is "commits suicide." I think thats sort of scary, starting to think of technology as people.

I liked how Hayles continued with the image concept on page 74 of our reader. she discusses how a metaphor is an image, which also connects images to literature.

On page 75 of our reader, I found a similarity between Hayles and McLuhan. Hayles says "...the physical form of the literary artifact always affects what the words mean." This is just like saying the medium defines the message. How the message is delivered creates the consequence. Just like the train...it could be carrying coal or cows, what matters is that the train was invented and had a big impact on the economy.

To conclude, Hayles says ""Understanding literature as the interplay between form, content, and medium..." I think that is is completely true. With such a vast network with new possibilities, we as students must know how to understand literature as it connects with form, content, and medium.

Medium, Meaning, Message, OH MY!

As I read McLuhan, I got a little frustrated. The chapter entitled “The Medium is the Message” confused the hell out of me and argued some pretty farfetched points. At first, I really agreed with what he was saying. “…it was not the machine, but what one did with the machine” (McLuhan 23). This passage suggests that what one does with what they have is what defines the object. In other words, What one does is the meaning or the message. I agree with that and feel that it can be spread to media as well. One can use pen and paper, a computer, or markers and a whiteboard. All are different media, but what one puts on the paper or computer screen or whiteboard is the meaning, the message that the person wants to get across.

BUT THEN…

McLuhan goes on to say on page 24, “For the ‘message’ of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace or pattern that it introduces into human affairs.” This is like saying that how the message is expressed is what defines it. In other words, the media is what defines the meaning. Now this got me way off track. I thought he was saying that the media doesn’t matter that that the message is apparent and the same through any media. Then he throws this curveball at the reader and says something completely different: the way the message is presented will invoke different perceptions of what the meaning of the message is.

So confusion sets in…luckily we discussed this text very thoroughly in class last Tuesday.

Scot brought up the metaphor of a train. It doesn’t matter what the train is carrying, what matters is that the medium has effects on the economy. Alright, but I still was confused about how the medium is the content.

It all came to me with one word: CONSEQUENCE. The medium induces a consequence on the culture. It affects or changes the culture, and that definitely makes sense at the macro level. It doesn’t matter what a train is carrying, what matters is that the train was invented and the economy and culture evolved.

It all seems so clear now.

Cool narration, man!

reaction

In chemistry and plant pathology, the term reaction come up quite a bit. In both cases it is used in the scientific manner of HA + X --> HX + A. in Chemistry, we are dealing with quite a bit of reactions dealing with benzene, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids. For plant pathology, I am doing undergraduate research. The project I'm working on deals with the Arabidopsis plant and promoter:GUS fusion to see expression of genes when introduces with a pathogen. I have been dealing with reactions of many enzymes, buffers, and polymerases to do so.

Express

Express is another term that comes up often in my research as well as my biology and bacteriology classes. The term is used as a verb in both cases as the act of expressing something. The research has a lot to do with gene expression. Bio and Bact both deal with expression of traits in an organism. It is cool how you can manipulate the DNA sequence to get different gene expressions and ultimately different traits.

we are OPEN for business

Jeff Rice says, "In the network model, emergence (or 'growth'...) is vital to the metaphor of writing" (Networks and New Media, 132). As the internet and other network culture expand, they are growing in knowledge and information. I think that as the network grows, we, as users of the network, must grow also. We cannot be "...the individual who works in one fixed space within a fixed disciplinary focus with a single identity tied to a singly motivated reading practice tied to a single idea expressed at a single moment" (Rice, 130). If we do not expand our horizons and grow with network culture, we will be stuck a a world that might no longer exist. Also, we must learn from network culture as it grows in information. Scot said in class that the network is full of possibilities. We can gain much from these possibilities of network culture; we can share ideas, get work done more efficiently, and "integrate different disciplines" as Scot said. The idea of possibilities is apparent in Rice's work as he describes network as "...the open space constructed out of connections where multiple writers engaging with multiple ideas in multiple media at multiple moments function" (Rice, 130). The new media of today functions as an ever-growing place where there is no limit to what can be done.

I also wanted to touch on the video we watched in class and the video by Daniel Anderson that was assigned for Tuesday February 6th. The term that came up in Anderson's video was "prosumer." I liked how Erin described it as "breaking the boundary between producer and consumer." By producing and being able to produce more with new media, we can understand more of the producer's standpoint and become better consumers. Also, you don't need to be an expert in most of the new media to be able to work it. Most things are very user friendly, and eve novices to network culture can create what they want to create.

Right-ing?

What is writing? Is there any one definition? I think not! Who is to say that one man's opinion on what it means to be 'writing' is indeed the true definition of writing? I think writing can be expressed on so many different levels that having one definition would take away from its complexity. As in my previous post, writing can be what you want it to be. We start out as children thinking writing is fun, something we do for pleasure when we are drawing or creating imaginative lands and creatures. Then we enter adolescence and high school, and we perceive writing as something laborious, something that we HAVE to do. But as we grow older, we realize that writing is a great way to connect people from various backgrounds and places. writing can be on paper, on the computer, even on a bathroom wall, and all of it is considered writing. However, writing still goes beyond taking a pen or writing utensil and scratching something down on a surface. People can write things on clothes, people can write music, people can draw, and all of it is considered writing. People can even vandalize a wall and it can be considered writing and even art! So writing has endless possibilities, so many that one person could not even begin to name all of them.

In the academic sense, writing has always been '5-10 pages, double spaced, MLA format, arguing a topic in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.' Not to discredit that type of writing, but that type of writing is some of the only writing people do in high school and college. and to think, there is so much more out there with the Internet and various genres of culture.

I think that people would benefit greatly on a cultural and intellectual basis if media was to be brought into the English curriculum earlier on. Many people would be more knowledgeable, and with globalization it would help people create connections with many other people.

However, as I mentioned in a previous post, some underprivileged schools and people might not be able to transition to the new curriculum due to insufficient funds and materials. This might put people at a disadvantage when we think about the big picture.

I think there is still more things to think over about when to implement a new curriculum, but i feel it is imperative to have a up-to-date curriculum sometime in the near future.

Rhetoric in E minor.

I keep trying to look past rhetoric as only persuasion, but its hard to. Scot said in rhetoric you must "know your enemy" to be productive and look past their tactics used in persuasion. However, he then moved onto a definition of rhetoric that is comprised of three parts: seeing, making, and doing. Seeing gives you a point-of-view, making is the art of putting things together, and doing is the action or motivating of others. Now this makes the term rhetoric more broad and takes it beyond persuasion.

Scot used an example of ships to explain the new definition, but i like to think about it in terms of music.

Seeing: When someone is performing a piece of music, there are many different view-points where a person can witness the performance. As an audience member, you are enjoying the music. As a member of the accompaniment, you are working with the performer. As a fellow musician or teacher, you are critiquing the performance. Depending on where you are physically as well as how familiar you are with the material, you have a different way of looking at the performance. I feel that with rhetoric it is the same deal. A person can receive a message differently based on who is delivering it or what kind of knowledge they have on the subject of the message.

Making: I find this art of putting things together in a couple ways with music. First, the person who makes the instrument is not always the one who plays it. Also, the person who spends countless hours composing or arranging a piece of music is not always the one who performs it. Also, the quality of the the instrument or piece of music effects the overall sound or quality of the performance. As in rhetoric, the way things are put together affects the overall deliverance of the message. The planning of the message is very important in how the message is perceived.

Doing: Music performance takes many days of practicing and preparation. One must plan and mold their technique in order to put on a spectacular performance. I feel that this is the same in rhetoric. Again, the deliverance of the message is so important in how one views it and what actions one take when hearing it.

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The article on banning the use of Wikipedia has made me think about resources and the way people perceive things in different ways. In the article by Yancy, i feel that she wants to move toward an age where the network and Internet are the predominant media for teaching and curriculum. I think she would respond to the wiki article by saying that technology is forever and we should only use Wikipedia as a starting point. However, the article by Faigley,he argues that "fast rhetoric" is dangerous and accident-prone. I think he would respond to the wiki article by saying the use of other materials needs to be taught.

I want to focus on Yancey's reading because i agree that the network as a medium of learning is where curriculum should be heading. Not only could the network act as a great learning place, but "it could help foster a world of peace never known before" (301). With a wealth of possibilities, a network curriculum could allow for more interconnectedness in learning throughout the world. "...the screen has become ubiquitous" (305) Yancey says, and it can be used for a greater and more efficient way of learning.

However, I do not know if this new curriculum can be implemented presently. Many schools and children are without the resources to switch over to a network curriculum. With this, if teaching becomes network-based in some schools that are able to switch over, those children in the school that are not able to switch will fall behind in learning and will not be able to be at the same level as other students and ultimately not have the same opportunities as everyone else. I feel that a network curriculum is something to strive for in the future, but for now, we need to focus on current problems.

Holy broken phone Batman!

My phone is broken. Why? I do not know. I took it out of my pocket last night and it said "Insert SIM." Now, this had happened to me before, so i shut off my phone, took out the battery, took out the SIM card, and put it back in. I tried starting my phone up again, but to my dismay, "Insert SIM" came back on the screen.

Needless to say, I am not a happy camper.

I called the Cingular people for some help. I got a lady who sounded like she knew what she was doing, but in all reality, could do nothing for me but tell me to go to the nearest Cingular store. I asked her why the phone would just stop recognizing the SIM card and she told me that sometimes the phone malfunction. Wonderful! I don't drop my phone in water or step on it, but it still decides to malfunction.

Needless to say, I am still not a happy camper.

So, this morning, i get up at 8:15am in order to shower and get ready before making a journey to the Cingular store on University. I planned my bus trip on the Madison Metro site and had my bus pass ready to go. I get on the bus outside Chadbourne which takes me to the corner where the Cingular store is. I get out and walk up to the door to find out the store doesn't open till 10am. I got there at 8:55am.

Needless to say, I am starting to be an angry camper.

It is partially my fault for not looking up the hours of the store (I just assumed the open at 9am). I have to be back by 10:30am for work, so waiting until 10 is out of the question. Instead, i get a bagel from Panera and head to the bus stop to wait for the buss that will take me back to campus. However, I find that the bus i planned to take no longer stops at that corner.

Why is this happening to me?!? It seemed like everything was going wrong!

Well, instead of stressing out anymore, I decide to just get on the first bus that comes and ride it around for a while. It was an interesting trip. It went south for a while, then west, then back east till it finally got to Johnson Street. I got off the buss and walked home.

What I thought would be a very productive morning turned into an adventure of sorts where nothing but consuming a bagel and riding around aimlessly on a bus were accomplished. My phone still says "Insert SIM," and I am more confused about the transit system than i was before this morning.

What this morning has shown me is that not having a phone, as much as i don't really want to admit it, makes me feel disconnected from the world. Technology is so important in today's society that if one thing malfunctions, a feeling of hopelessness ensues. If you are without technology, it is almost as if you cannot function as a member of society. People rely so much on technology, using it for many different things, like e-mail or phones or calendars.

...It has also shown me that I need to take the bus (other than the 80,81, 82, or85) more often.

To conclude, if anyone is good with phones (or bus routes for that matter), let me know. I am open to suggestions on how to fix this problem.

Mission: BLOG

Pre-reading-----

How would I define rhetoric? I'm not sure at all what rhetoric is, but I'll give it a shot. I think someone told me that rhetoric had to do with persuasive speech/writing. Also, when i think of rhetoric, I think of 'rhetorical questions'. So maybe rhetoric has something to do with expressing yourself in a manner that does not need an immediate response but simply invokes thought. My friend is a Comm Arts major focusing on rhetoric, so rhetoric must have something to do with presenting ideas to audiences in order to get across a point or to make people aware of a piece of information. Now I'm going to research rhetoric and see what it actually is.



Post-reading-----

My perception and definition of rhetoric has definitely changed. I checked out Silva Rhetoricae and an article from the class reader, and they provided me with a lot of info on what rhetoric actually is. I would now say that, in general, rhetoric is the careful use of symbols (such as language or music) in everyday life during interaction with others. It does have to do with persuasion, but it's more about the use of language/symbols in order to persuade.

In specific, I learned some interesting things about rhetoric:
-Rhetoric is used each and every day. Whether you are telling an opinion or addressing an audience, rhetoric is a part of everyday interactions.
-Rhetoric has to do with persuasion as an idea goes from simply accepted to acted upon.
-More delicately, rhetoric is responsive communication. It deals with inviting responses and making responses to others as well.

I think possibly the most interesting thing i learned from researching rhetoric was that it is used to build communities. I never even thought of a communication as a way of creating community. It makes sense though, as there are many different communities that share common thoughts and beliefs. For example, College Democrats as UW-Madison is a community based on common beliefs in political issues. Which brings me to another point: I now understand how rhetoric is so vital in politics. Rhetoric involves addressing issues and communicating your opinions about issues, and politicians do that such thing during races for office.

Reading about rhetoric and what is really is has given me insight as to how important rhetoric is to everyone. It is used very often, and sometimes people don't even realize they are using it. I am going to be more aware of rhetoric now and be conscious of how I use it each and every day.

Something new...

So I'm taking this composition class at UW-Madison that focuses on rhetoric and network culture. I was surprised when I first saw the topics and what we were going to be doing: writing blogs, making a personal web page... I guess I figured this English composition class would be a standard English class with hard copy essays researching some topic or book. Although it's different, I think the class will be pretty interesting. It will be a good break from other science related classes. We'll see how it goes though. I hope to have a successful future in blogging...

I guess i should introduce myself. My name is Andy, I' from Milwaukee, WI...the actual city, NOT a suburb (which is not common here in Madison), and I'm a sophomore majoring in biochem and Spanish.

That's all for now. I'll keep you posted if anything exciting happens soon.